The Post's Erich Richter shares his picks and predictions for the NFL wild card round..
Texas (+3) vs. Chargers
On average, there are 1.5 upsets per Wild Card weekend, with home underdogs consistently winning 16-14 and the underdog overall being 69-105.
Championship teams have been dominating the NFL in recent weeks, but that won't stop history from repeating itself in the playoffs.
The first game on Saturday should be a defensive struggle and an epic sack fest as the Chargers and Justin Herbert take on the Houston Texans' vaunted defense.
Houston's defensive line is ferocious, ranking first in pass rush win percentage and second in run stop win percentage.
This is an incredible number for a great defensive player who ranks third in Defensive Adjusted Value Average (DVOA).
I don't expect either team to score many points on Saturday.
The Chargers' defense is also rated 9th in DVOA, so an odd score is to be expected. It will probably be a game that either team could win, 18-16.
Ravens (-9.5) vs. Steelers
It's a three-game rubber match, with the Steelers heading to Baltimore for a district match.
The Ravens are the league's No. 1 rated team in DVOA and would likely be Super Bowl favorites if not for their recent history of falling short in the playoffs.
The reality is that no one believes in them because they lost to the Chiefs last year as a mid-major championship favorite and outgained Kansas City by 5.9 to 4.4 yards per play.
Do you want to bet on the NFL?
You may have forgotten that the Ravens defeated a red-hot Texans team 34-10 in the divisional round of the playoffs.
The Steelers have lost four straight and are playing their worst football of the season.
The Steelers had the second-worst yards per pass attempt in the NFL during this period, behind Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Bailey Zappe, and the Browns.
oh yeah.
last week: 4-10
season:113-131-3.
